Feature #8573: Add String#format method(not an alias of String#%)

• Status: Feedback
• Assignee: -
• Target version: -

[bozhidar (Bozhidar Batsov)]

I think it'd be great if String included a method similar to % that accepts variable number of arguments (like sprintf). This is trivial to implement as you're certainly aware.

Here's one implementation suggestion:

class String
def format(*args)
super(self, *(args.flatten))
end
end

This would make the new method behave both like sprintf/format and String#%. I think this minor improvement would definitely be in the spirit of making more programmers happy :-)

Here a bit more on the topic - http://batsov.com/articles/2013/06/27/the-elements-of-style-in-ruby-number-2-favor-sprintf-format-over-string-number-percent/

[nobu (Nobuyoshi Nakada)]

Do you mean this?

def format(*args)
  sprintf(self, *args)
end

or

def format(*args)
  self % args
end

[naruse (Yui NARUSE)]

• Status changed from Open to Feedback
• Priority changed from 3 to Normal
• Target version changed from 2.1.0 to 2.6

Show concrete use case.

[naruse (Yui NARUSE)]

• Target version deleted (2.6)

[bozhidar (Bozhidar Batsov)]

naruse (Yui NARUSE) wrote:

Show concrete use case.

How about simply:

"Hello, %s %s!".format("Mr.", "Bond")

[bozhidar (Bozhidar Batsov)]

nobu (Nobuyoshi Nakada) wrote:

Do you mean this?

def format(*args)
  sprintf(self, *args)
end

or

def format(*args)
  self % args
end

I'd prefer something implemented in terms of sprintf.

[shyouhei (Shyouhei Urabe)]

bozhidar (Bozhidar Batsov) wrote:

naruse (Yui NARUSE) wrote:

Show concrete use case.

How about simply:

"Hello, %s %s!".format("Mr.", "Bond")

That's too simple. What we need is how the requested feature improves the situation. What's wrong with the status-quo? and how is that relaxed using String#format?